Google Maps for mobile solution now tops 100 million users a month

Almost five years after its initial rollout, the Google Maps for mobile solution now tops 100 million users a month, the digital services giant reports. Writing on the Official Google Mobile Blog, vice president of engineering Vic Gundotra notes that in the wake of recent enhancements like the April 2010 addition of Place Pages (webpages organizing all relevant information about a particular destination), users are now searching for specific locations almost three times as often, doubling the number of Place Pages viewed each day.

Google introduced Google Maps for mobile 4.4 in late July, promising more efficient access to information on nearby locations. Maps for mobile 4.4 includes a new Places icon in the Android app launcher–users can press and drag the icon onto the home screen to look for restaurants, theaters, retailers and other local businesses, receiving a detailed list of the nearest sites along with individual Place Pages for each point of interest. Along with photos and reviews, Place Pages also feature details like prices, parking and menu links, with the search results list highlighting business opening hours in addition to compass direction and distance.